Quantification of tunicamycin-induced protein expression and N-glycosylation changes in yeast

Protein expression and glycosylation changes as a result of tunicamycin treatment were systematically and quantitatively investigated.

mTOR contributes to ER stress and associated apoptosis in renal tubular cells

ER stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of both acute and chronic kidney diseases. However, the molecular regulation of ER stress in kidney cells and tissues remains poorly understood. In this study, we examined tunicamycin-induced ER stress in renal proximal tubular cells (RPTC). Tunicamycin induced the phosphorylation and activation of PERK and eIF2α within 2 h in RPTC, which was followed by the induction of GRP78 and CHOP. Consistently, tunicamycin also induced apoptosis in RPTC. Interestingly, mTOR was activated rapidly during tunicamycin treatment, as indicated by phosphorylation of both mTOR and p70S6K. Inhibition of mTOR with rapamycin partially suppressed the phosphorylation of PERK and eIF2a and the induction of CHOP and GRP78 induction during tunicamycin treatment. Rapamycin also inhibited apoptosis during tunicamycin treatment and increased cell survival. Collectively, the results suggest that mTOR plays a regulatory role in ER stress, and inhibition of mTOR may have potential therapeutic effects in ER stress-related renal diseases.

Role of N-Linked Glycosylation of the 5-HT2A Receptor in JC Virus Infection

ABSTRACT JC virus (JCV) is a human polyomavirus and the causative agent of the fatal demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). JCV infection of host cells is dependent on interactions with cell surface asparagine (N)-linked sialic acids and the serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine2A receptor (5-HT2AR). The 5-HT2AR contains five potential N-linked glycosylation sites on the extracellular N terminus. Glycosylation of other serotonin receptors is essential for expression, ligand binding, and receptor function. Also, glycosylation of cellular receptors has been reported to be important for JCV infection. Therefore, we hypothesized that the 5-HT2AR N-linked glycosylation sites are required for JCV infection. Treatment of 5-HT2AR-expressing cells with tunicamycin, an inhibitor of N-linked glycosylation, reduced JCV infection. Individual mutation of each of the five N-linked glycosylation sites did not affect the capacity of 5-HT2AR to support JCV infection and did not alter the cell surface expression of the receptor. However, mutation of all five N-linked glycosylation sites simultaneously reduced the capacity of 5-HT2AR to support infection and altered the cell surface expression. Similarly, tunicamycin treatment reduced the cell surface expression of 5-HT2AR. Mutation of all five N-linked glycosylation sites or tunicamycin treatment of cells expressing wild-type 5-HT2AR resulted in an altered electrophoretic mobility profile of the receptor. Treatment of cells with PNGase F, to remove N-linked oligosaccharides from the cell surface, did not affect JCV infection in 5-HT2AR-expressing cells. These data affirm the importance of 5-HT2AR as a JCV receptor and demonstrate that the sialic acid component of the receptor is not directly linked to 5-HT2AR.

Involvement of Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperones in the Folding of Hepatitis C Virus Glycoproteins

ABSTRACT The hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome encodes two envelope glycoproteins (E1 and E2) which interact noncovalently to form a heterodimer (E1-E2). During the folding and assembly of HCV glycoproteins, a large portion of these proteins are trapped in aggregates, reducing the efficiency of native E1-E2 complex assembly. To better understand this phenomenon and to try to increase the efficiency of HCV glycoprotein folding, endoplasmic reticulum chaperones potentially interacting with these proteins were studied. Calnexin, calreticulin, and BiP were shown to interact with E1 and E2, whereas no interaction was detected between GRP94 and HCV glycoproteins. The association of HCV glycoproteins with calnexin and calreticulin was faster than with BiP, and the kinetics of interaction with calnexin and calreticulin were very similar. However, calreticulin and BiP interacted preferentially with aggregates whereas calnexin preferentially associated with monomeric forms of HCV glycoproteins or noncovalent complexes. Tunicamycin treatment inhibited the binding of HCV glycoproteins to calnexin and calreticulin, indicating the importance of N-linked oligosaccharides for these interactions. The effect of the co-overexpression of each chaperone on the folding of HCV glycoproteins was also analyzed. However, the levels of native E1-E2 complexes were not increased. Together, our data suggest that calnexin plays a role in the productive folding of HCV glycoproteins whereas calreticulin and BiP are probably involved in a nonproductive pathway of folding.

Effect of tunicamycin treatment on ligand binding to the erythropoietin receptor: conversion from two classes of binding sites to a single class

Scatchard analyses of erythropoietin (EPO) binding to its receptor (EPO- R) have shown that some erythroid cells display a biphasic nature of the ligand-saturation curve, indicating the presence of two classes of binding sites with different affinities. The biochemical basis accounting for this observation is unknown. We found that the culture of a human erythroleukemia cell line with tunicamycin, an inhibitor of N-glycosylation, converted the biphasic Scatchard plot to a single phase with high-affinity sites. Scatchard plots of baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells that had been engineered to express cloned mouse EPO-R were also biphasic and the plots of cells cultured with tunicamycin became a single phase with high-affinity sites. Mouse EPO-R is glycosylated at one asparagine residue in the extracellular region. The mutant EPO-R, in which asparagine residue responsible for N-glycosylation was replaced with glutamine residue, was expressed on BHK cells. Unexpectedly, mutant EPO-R was similar in ligand binding to wild-type EPO-R. BHK cells that expressed mutant EPO-R showed biphasic Scatchard plots that were converted to single-phase plots with only high-affinity sites by tunicamycin treatment. These results indicate that the N- linked sugar of EPO-R is not involved in the manifestation of two classes of binding sites, and that there is a yet unidentified glycoprotein crucial for the ligand-saturation characteristics of EPO-R.

Effect of tunicamycin treatment on ligand binding to the erythropoietin receptor: conversion from two classes of binding sites to a single class

Scatchard analyses of erythropoietin (EPO) binding to its receptor (EPO- R) have shown that some erythroid cells display a biphasic nature of the ligand-saturation curve, indicating the presence of two classes of binding sites with different affinities. The biochemical basis accounting for this observation is unknown. We found that the culture of a human erythroleukemia cell line with tunicamycin, an inhibitor of N-glycosylation, converted the biphasic Scatchard plot to a single phase with high-affinity sites. Scatchard plots of baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells that had been engineered to express cloned mouse EPO-R were also biphasic and the plots of cells cultured with tunicamycin became a single phase with high-affinity sites. Mouse EPO-R is glycosylated at one asparagine residue in the extracellular region. The mutant EPO-R, in which asparagine residue responsible for N-glycosylation was replaced with glutamine residue, was expressed on BHK cells. Unexpectedly, mutant EPO-R was similar in ligand binding to wild-type EPO-R. BHK cells that expressed mutant EPO-R showed biphasic Scatchard plots that were converted to single-phase plots with only high-affinity sites by tunicamycin treatment. These results indicate that the N- linked sugar of EPO-R is not involved in the manifestation of two classes of binding sites, and that there is a yet unidentified glycoprotein crucial for the ligand-saturation characteristics of EPO-R.

The relationship of N-linked glycosylation and heavy chain-binding protein association with the secretion of glycoproteins.

The relationship of N-linked glycosylation and association with heavy chain binding protein (BiP) to the secretion of Factor VIII (FVIII), von Willebrand Factor (vWF), and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) was studied in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. FVIII has a heavily glycosylated region containing 20 clustered potential N-linked glycosylation sites. A significant proportion of FVIII was detected in a stable complex with BiP and not secreted. Deletion of the heavily glycosylated region resulted in reduced association with BiP and more efficient secretion. Tunicamycin treatment of cells producing this deleted form of FVIII resulted in stable association of unglycosylated FVIII with BiP and inhibition of efficient secretion. vWF contains 17 potential N-linked glycosylation sites scattered throughout the molecule. vWF was transiently associated with BiP and efficiently secreted demonstrating that CHO cells are competent to secrete a highly glycosylated protein. tPA, which has three utilized N-linked glycosylation sites, exhibited low level association with BiP and was efficiently secreted. Disruption of N-linked glycosylation of tPA by either site-directed mutagenesis or tunicamycin treatment resulted in reduced levels of secretion and increased association with BiP. This effect was enhanced by high levels of tPA expression. The glycosylation state and extent of association with BiP could be correlated with secretion efficiency.